Alexandra Dock, Liverpool
Part of Liverpool Docks
Alexandra Dock is a dock on the River Mersey and part of the Port of Liverpool. It is situated in the northern dock system in Bootle. Alexandra Dock consists of a main basin nearest the river wall and three branch docks to the east, with the southern branch mostly filled in.
The dock was built by George Fosbery Lyster between 1874-82. During its construction, the dock was known as Atlantic Dock for about a year.
Opened in 1881 and named in honour of Queen Alexandra, the dock has three branch docks and is connected to Hornby Dock to the north and Langton Dock to the south. Initially, access was through Langton Dock and the problematic Canada Basin.
c.1891 The area of the Alexandra Dock was about 44 acres, and its quayage 4,000ft.
Prior to the construction of Seaforth Dock, Alexandra Dock was involved in the grain trade. The grain silos had a 110,000 ton capacity, with floor space for a further 20,000 tons. The dock also had refrigeration facilities, which were provided by Union Cold Storage, for imported frozen meat. When built, the cold store was the largest in Europe with a capacity of 2,668,000 cu ft (75,500 m3). The facility was built at the end of No. 3 Branch Dock, and allowed direct transfer to ships in No. 2 Branch Dock.
The dock was served by LNWR Alexandra Dock railway station and the Liverpool Overhead Railway's Alexandra Dock (LOR) railway station.
Latterly, its main export is recycled scrap metal.